


Loft

by frillyfujoshiyami



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, Mild Angst, One Shot, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-09-30
Packaged: 2019-07-20 22:41:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16147064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frillyfujoshiyami/pseuds/frillyfujoshiyami
Summary: Haru was in the middle of cooking dinner when an announced visitor appeared. Who interrupted his precious mackerel time?





	Loft

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Frauggie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frauggie/gifts).



> To: Frauggie
> 
> You've read it once before but I hope you like this more touched up version :) I hope you enjoy it. I know things have been really rough lately but I'm always here for you (even if it doesn't seem like it sometimes). I hope this puts a smile on your face and know that I love my Haru very much <3

“..What the...?” Haru mumbled to himself frowning as he turned his head toward the front door, his eyebrows knitted together. A non-stop knock over the last few minutes quickly switched to a constant ring that bounced off of the usually quiet apartment walls. The freestyle swimmer sighed deeply as he turned off the stove and set down his cooking chopstick clearly annoyed. Who the hell could that be? 

It couldn’t be Makoto since he was at a study session with a few classmates. Plus he would actually message him if he planned on visiting. Could it be Asahi? While he would usually leave Haru messages, he wouldn’t put it past the hyperactive redhead to do something similar to a certain blonde he knew back home...

“...I’m coming…!” Frustrated Haru sighed once more, walked out of his kitchen and toward the front of his apartment. With a deep-seated frown on his face, he opened the door and in an instant, felt the air get knocked out of his lungs at the sight in front of him. What was breathing again?

“Rin…?” No, this couldn’t be him. The idiot shouldn’t be back for another couple of weeks for the All-Japan tournament. Hell, Haru didn’t know until a couple of days ago that Rin even qualified. It was thanks to Makoto he even found out. So much for keeping in contact this time around.

“Yo, I’m back Haru.” That familiar bright toothy grin graced Rin’s face as he waved at an awestruck Haru. Was this even real? Despite the light airy feeling in his chest coupled with a faint flush on his cheeks upon having seen the redhead in front of him, the frown quickly changed into a pout.

“Liar.” Of all things, why did he have to say that!? Why couldn’t he say ‘Welcome home’ like a normal person? Haru knew he was angry with Rin, how he promised he would write, Skype call, or text message, but instead all he got was silence. He made sure to at least tell him his times here and there, especially if he did well during practice. Not once did he get a message back and if it wasn’t for Gou’s random updates to Makoto, Haru would have thought he hit another wall again just like middle school.

“O-Oi…” Rin laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “I’ve been meaning to message you but I’ve just been busy with classes and practice. You know how that goes, right?”

“...You weren’t busy enough to come back to Japan early. Why are you even here?” Haru’s eyes scanned Rin’s appearance, going from the tip of his sneakers to the top of that weird hat of his. It looked like he just got off the plane and came straight to his apartment. Wait, how did he-Right, he’s been keeping in contact with Makoto instead of him. Thinking about how much Rin has been avoiding him made his chest ache, that light feeling gone from moments ago. What exactly changed between them during that short period of time? Did Rin find someone else in Australia that fired him up more than he supposedly did? While Haru knew it is possible for someone to have more than one rival, thinking of the redhead finding someone better than him stung. 

“For the All-Japan tournament! Didn’t Makoto tell you my times?” The redhead pushed past Haru like this was normal, with his usual backpack on his back and duffle in hand. That annoying smile of his never faded and instead, it got brighter as he forced his way through the front door and into the entrance. “Plus I wanted to sup-”

“Yeah, since a certain someone refuses to tell me anything.” Haru interrupts him bitterly, crossing his arms and looking to the side. While he knew the two were close friends, knowing that they kept in contact with each other made him upset. Why was Rin avoiding him so much? Maybe something really did happen in Australia…No Haru hated to admit it but he was jealous. What makes Makoto so special that Rin could talk to him?

“Haru... “ Rin set his duffle bag down and turned around, peering at Haru this time his face contorted in a slight pout and his eyebrows furrowed in concern. Confused the ebony haired male cocked an eyebrow, looking at the man in front of him like he was crazy. 

“...What?”

“I didn’t mean to but I heard from Makoto you’ve been stressed so I… backed off. He wouldn’t tell me why so I assumed practice must have been tough.” Rin slipped his hat off, running a hand through his long red locks. He always had fairly long red hair but right now, this had to be the longest he has seen it. Haru swallowed thickly with a slight heat traveling to his cheeks. It always smelled like cherry blossoms, having a shine to them that only his smile could rival. He has caught himself more than once wanting to run his hands through that hair, to tangle his fingers in the red mess of color, to play with the small strands at the base of his neck...

“I’m not stressed,” Haru replied curtly. The redhead must have been referring to what happened with Ikuya. While it did stress him, it wasn’t to the point where hearing anything from Rin would have pushed him over the edge. No, it would have put his mind at ease if anything, knowing that the person he hurt the most back then was doing good, that Hiyori’s words meant nothing. No, Haru figured that out on his own but it would have been nice to have been reassured with the redhead’s success instead.

“It doesn’t matter now. I’m back in Japan and I’m here for the next few weeks.” The visiting swimmer bent down, slowly removing his shoes when it suddenly dawned on Haru. Wait, if Rin is here with his bags and saying he’s back for a short period, did it mean he…?

“Who said you could stay with me?”

“Makoto said you had extra space so I figured I could come and stay with you.” Rin finished taking off his shoes, setting it to the side next to Haru’s own, that damn bright smile back on his face. It’s gorgeous and Haru was extremely happy that it’s being directed at him for once instead of someone or something else. The damn thing always did things to his heart, right now no exception. Whatever annoyances he had before suddenly melted.

“The loft.”

“The wha-?”

“You can stay in the loft.” If Haru was honest with himself, besides the pool being so close and the amazing bathroom, he also picked this apartment just in case something like this happened. How Makoto saw through his intentions was a mystery but he had to thank him when he saw him again. At least this way he could catch up with Rin and spend more time with the guy. He would never admit it out loud but he really did miss the idiot.

“Thanks, Haru. You’re the best.” Without warning Rin launched himself forward, wrapping his arms around Haru’s shoulders, giving him a tight squeeze. Haru could feel his body tense up at the feeling, still not used to others hugging him. It’s nothing like the hugs he got from Makoto or even the rest of the Iwatobi guys. Even the hug he shared with Ikuya didn’t feel like this. Where ever Rin’s skin touched his it was warm. It was similar to that spark of electricity he would feel in the water with him, to remind him that he is alive and that the redhead was next to him, urging him on further in the water.

“So, what’s for dinner? Mack-

“Mackerel.” The two of them said at the same time, Rin chuckling as he pulled away. It was too short of the hug and the next thing Haru knew the redhead looked at him with a teasing gaze, a small smile playing at the corner of lips. He couldn’t help but smile a little himself, even if he was still annoyed that the idiot showed up at his door unannounced and the lack of communication. In the end, what mattered most is the fact that he chose to stay with him instead of a hotel.  


~*~*~*~

  
“Rin, your turn.” Haru rubbed his fluffy black and blue polka dotted bath towel against his head, trying to get the remaining water out of his hair. It was odd that the redhead insisted that he take a bath first, knowing fully well that he usually takes long ones, but Haru wasn’t one to pass up that kind of opportunity.

“...Rin…?” Worried, Haru walked around the living room of his rather large apartment, looking around for his uninvited guest. When he left to take a bath he was sitting down watching TV. It wasn’t that long of a bath. In fact, it was half an hour shorter than his usual soak. Rin should have been happy he didn’t take as long to begin with. 

“This isn’t funny…” Haru frowned, making his way to his room for whatever reason. Why he would be in there was beyond him but it didn’t hurt to check. Haru stuck his head inside and of course, saw nothing but his simply decorated room empty. It was almost like the time they were in Australia together last summer. One second Rin was standing next to him at the fountain and not even a few moments later, he disappeared. All Haru could remember was the panic that washed over him, scared that Rin left him stranded like that. It wouldn’t be the first time Rin left him either. The memories of middle school flashed through his mind, a bitter look fluttering across his face. That was something he didn’t want to remember but with a certain idiot disappearing on him once again along with what happened this semester so far, he couldn’t help but recall such events. 

Thanks to Rin, his whole life changed. From the very moment he first laid eyes on him at that tournament in Elementary school, he knew the guy was going to be trouble and how right he was. It was because of him that he learned how great it was to swim with friends, to work together to achieve something so wonderful. It was because of him that he learned how to open up to people, that it was okay to let others in and be friends. However, it was also because of him that he learned that even though it was easy to make friends, it was just as easy to lose them. The bitterness of hurting others still stung even after all these years. Breaking his promise with Ikuya bothered him but it didn’t compare to the hurt he caused Rin. While he did his best to reassure Haru that he was upset about hitting a wall while studying abroad and how sorry he was for taking his frustrations out on him, he could never shake the guilt he felt over that incident. 

Having almost lost Rin completely back in high school made him realize just how important he really was. After he heard him shout about his tournament failures, Haru felt something inside him break. The overwhelming dread of the idea of never being able to swim with or even seeing Rin again shook Haru to his core. Rin was the person who rudely changed his life and he was about to leave him. Without the support of Rei and the others, he might not have ever been able to face the redhead and fix their misunderstanding. 

From that moment, it made Haru realize that the feelings he held for Rin weren’t that of contempt or annoyance, but that of something stronger. No one made him feel the way the idiot did. How he made his heart speed up and slow down, make his chest ache, to make him feel light and airy as if he could fly, be angry yet happy all at once. It was all thanks to Rin. 

Even now as Haru stood there in his room looking at his empty bed, he couldn’t help but think about him. He missed Rin dearly and having him stay here was both a blessing and a curse. While he could spend time with him and catch up, it was hard because every second he is around, Haru caught himself wanting to do something that could scare him off. While Rin stood in the doorway earlier, Haru caught himself wanting to kiss him. He ached for Rin to do more while they hugged but it never came. Hell even during dinner he wanted to reach over and hold his hand, to caress the back of his hand with his thumb. 

As Haru made his way back toward his living room, he could hear a faint sound, like someone was snoring. Then it hit the freestyle swimmer that he told the redhead he could stay in the loft. Sighing deeply, Haru headed straight to the ladder and climbed up slowly but once he got close to the top, his eyes grew wide, a faint blush etched across his cheeks.

Haru opened and closed his mouth a few times, debating about saying something but decided against it. On the small futon is Rin, curled up holding a pillow in his arms, snoring softly with a tiny smile on his face. Was he really that happy to be staying at his place? Haru swallowed thickly while holding on to the ladder tightly, watching the redhead as he slept. 

Rin looked extremely relaxed. His usual thin brows were drawn back, the wrinkle at the corner of his eyes lax, his sharp features highlighted by that small grin that danced across his lips. It made Haru’s heart race. From the moment he opened the door, he saw how delighted the redhead looked, how much his crimson orbs sparkled with radiance, the tiny golden flecks hidden in the sea of red glowing just like his smile. Haru always loved seeing him smile, especially those big ones where the corner of his eyes would crinkle. 

Leaning forward Haru brushed a hair out of Rin’s face, a soft smile grew. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t still annoyed that Rin didn’t keep his promise but he could feel it melting away. Out of everyone he chose Haru to stay with and it warmed his heart. He missed his frustrated frowns, the annoying laughs, his stupid bright smile, but more importantly, he just missed Rin. He always made his world so much brighter and exciting. It was because of him he was able to find his dream, to find what exactly he wanted to do. While he was far from being ordinary, Haru came to terms that maybe that wasn’t a possibility for him. As long as he had Rin by his side, always expanding his world and making it more full, he could handle not being normal. 

“Hm… Haru…” The freestyle swimmer froze with his movements, his heart falling into the pit of his stomach, fear crept over him. Did he wake Rin up? Holding his breath Haru pulled back and watched the other carefully. “Love… Missed you…” Rin smiled widely as he snuggled the pillow in his arms, turning to face Haru. 

Did… he just say he…? Haru’s face felt like it was on fire and thankful that Rin couldn’t see him. His heart sang, beating wildly against his chest knowing that the redhead missed him just as much as he did. While it might have been just for swimming, it made Haru feel better to know that at least he did think about him.

Feeling brave Haru leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss to Rin’s forehead, whispering ‘ _I missed you too, Rin._ ’ against his skin. Even though this was just temporary, Haru was going to make the best of it. He wasn’t sure when the redhead would be back in Japan again and wanted to take advantage of what little time he did have. It was like a dream come true and the only way it would get even sweeter is when they both made it to the National Team.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first official fic and I am hella nervous to be posting this... Please no concrit at this time since it is a gift fors someone. I hope whoever reads this enjoy it as well!


End file.
